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willing to takes risks. And these are characteristics we
traditionally ascribe to men rather than women. But
it’s not just about how we view a good leader; we also
have a stereotype for a ‘good’ man or woman. A good
woman is caring, a good listener, doesn’t want to be
in the foreground, isn’t dominant, is keen to cooperate
and aspires to harmony we are not taught to be. This
creates an impossible double standard: lead, but don’t
lead too hard. Be feminine, but not too feminine and
the opinionated or determined ones are derisively
called “bossy”,
Female executives constantly have to navigate these
tensions and balance being too soft or too hard.
According to Forbes, studies have confirmed that
girls avoid leadership for fear they’ll be labelled bossy.
And as a woman climbs the corporate ladder, the data
shows that men and women alike like her less. Even if
the woman in question is confident enough to shrug
off being called a b*tch, the name calling changes
how everyone else perceives her.
Known as the ABCs of the office: Aggressive,
assertive, angry. Bossy, b*tch. Cold, calculating,
these are the words often used to describe women
who assert power and they are totally different from
the words for men with the same characteristics, as
linguist Robin Lakoff first documented nearly 40 years
ago. Women faint; men pass out. She’s aggressive;
he’s assertive. When a female boss makes a demand
at work, she’s bossy a man does it, he’s strong and
decisive. A woman leader is a b*tch— the man is
simply “in charge”.
unconsciously view men as leaders and women
as followers, so that when a woman is promoted On a final note, society still retains a biased view on
to senior leadership, she disrupts unconscious leadership and tints it with masculine glasses. Despite
collective norms. the progress that the feminist movement is making,
society is still largely patriarchal, and the world (men
Growing up, the girl child is taught to be nice, play and women) still favours men at the expense of
fair, be accommodating, be well liked; however women for leading roles. The notion that a woman
one of the most important explanations relates holding a position of power is a BOSS, that is just what
to stereotype ideas about what makes a good she is, like a man would be. No additional label. She’s
leader. We immediately think of masculine rather THE BOSS, “not the boss lady”, and definitely “not a
than feminine qualities. We associate a leader b*tch”. Today is a good day to unlearn the patriarchy.
with someone who is decisive, dominant and
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